The 2019 More Circles than Squares art project The 2016 Fire and Rain art project

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

2019 More Circles than Squares art project is a continuation of my 2016 Fire and Rain art project. I was inspired to paint "The Crumpling Umbrella" after a rain wind storm by the Alberta Legislature had caused an elderly woman's umbrella to collapse. #Yeg #Ableg #Storm #Rain.

The Crumpling Umbrella employs the colours of the medicine wheel representing the 4 directions and the colours of races of mankind. The two crows or ravens shrouded in circles of fire and rain can be symbols of magic and mysteries that exist in our lives.

"Err on the side of caution when you're dealing with the future unknown."

- River Valley Joe, The Fire and Rain art project 2016

2018-12-14: It’s not something you’d expect to hear in December, but a wildfire is burning out of control in the western Alberta foothills, south of Edson and Hinton. Alberta Wildfire said the blaze broke out Friday afternoon in an area that has seen little snowfall so far this winter. High winds of more than 100 km/h have fanned the flames. Global News

2019 More Circles than Squares art project will focus my camera and canvases onto environmental issues in Alberta and Western Canada, adding to the 2016 Fire and Rain project that focused on the wildfires and rains in Alberta. I'll bring this project out into the public square to inspire dialog and publish news stories. 2016 Fire and Rain art project

"Art is made for people to react. Having a position means what you are doing is needed and it is creating change. In the long term a lot of people are going to appreciate it." -Venezuelan woman, Alberta Legislature art show 2017.

"Mother Earth is ready to cleanse. The natural shape is a circle, our cells are a circle, stars are a circle, the sun, the moon, the earth. The mothers womb is a circle. I don't believe we should be living in these squares." - Chief No Tribe 2016

B.C. Wildfires 2018: State of emergency declared across province as 559 fires burn
The declaration is in effect for two weeks from the time it is issued and may be extended or rescinded as the situation develops.
Vancouver Sun PATRICK JOHNSTON

Monday, January 2, 2017

August 26, 2015: Alberta Health Services has issued air quality advisories for areas from the U.S. border north to the Edmonton region because of smoke from wildfires in Washington state. The agency warns even healthy people may experience irritated eyes and throat and possibly shortness of breath. AHS says people with respiratory conditions may notice a worsening of symptoms and that children and the elderly are at higher risk of smoke-related illness. An air quality official says the smoke in the Calgary area is worse than cities with serious pollution problems such as Beijing and New Delhi. Globe and Mail

Sunday, January 1, 2017

December 3, 2016 Today's 150th art show: on the Alberta Legislature grounds. With frigid cold temperatures forecast for the coming week this might be my last outdoor art show this year. Today's guests included from Toronto Ezra Levant of TheRebel media who also gave me an interview about his protest rally he planned for later today. Conservative leadership hopeful Chris Alexander who I found to be a good listener.

December 8, 2016 Wind chill minus -36 C Wind Chill: Good Day for an outdoor art show and Civil Information Actions promoting The 2016 Fire and Rain art project during its last 14 days in 2016. Photo : This brave gal who had no hat was giving out chocolates for a Make A Wish Christmas campaign on Jasper Avenue and 102nd street.

December 13, 2016 The 911 call: Minus -19C wind chill allowed me to continue my outdoor leafleting and promoting the 2016 Fire and Rain art project in front of the Alberta Legislature. During the start of my show a man came up to me and asked where he could find the river. I pointed in the direction and asked why the river? He replied "to jump into it." Right then a strong gust of wind toppled over my easel. I quickly gathered my easel, painting and backpack off the ground and made chase after the guy while dialing 911. He got away from me under the High Level bridge. The EPS later called back to say they found the man and got him to a place for help - Edmonton cops are the best!

December 20, 2016: Today is the last day of The 2016 Fire and Rain art project. It ended today as the 153rd outdoor art show on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature grounds. It was a good day, meeting so many who stopped to look at my paintings and hear some of the stories behind the paintings. This young Venezuelan woman who took interest in my show had this to say.

Art is made for people to react. Having a position means what you are doing is needed and it is creating change...
In the long term a lot of people are going to appreciate it."
- Unnamed Venezuelan woman

Fort McMurray wildfire named Canadian Press news story of 2016

'Not even a Hollywood script could match the terror, uncertainty, and heroism'

December 20, 2016: The ferocious wildfire that forced nearly 90,000 to flee Canada's oilsands region and reduced thousands of homes to rubble has been picked as the top news story of 2016 in an annual survey of newsrooms across Canada by The Canadian Press.
Dubbed "the beast" for its merciless unpredictability, the Fort McMurray wildfire garnered 39 of the 67 votes cast by senior editors. It was followed by Canada's ongoing resettlement of Syrian refugees with 11 votes, the fentanyl crisis with six and the Tragically Hip's farewell tour with five.
Fort McMurray wildfire remains out of control after city evacuated
"Not even a Hollywood script could match the terror, uncertainty, and heroism to come out of what seemed to be a surreal event," wrote Dave Barry, news director of CKPG TV in Prince George, B.C.
The fire began in a remote forested area southwest of the city on May 1 during a spell of unusually hot and dry spring weather. By suppertime on May 3 the flames were inside the city and all of Fort McMurray was under a mandatory evacuation order." CBC.ca

Freely expressing art by Edmonton City Hall New Years Eve 2016, during my 160th outdoor art show in Edmonton. Featuring the 2016 Fire and Rain art project collection that focused my canvases and camera on the wildfires and the rains that followed in Alberta last year. Photo : Two stilt walkers stand next to and pose with my painting titled Escape From Fort McMurray

December 31, 2016 New Years Eve Celebrations: A City of Edmonton employee approached me during New Years Eve celebrations next to the City Hall's ice rink where I had set up my painting Escape from Fort McMurray, part of the 2016 Fire and Rain art project that focused my canvases and camera on the wildfires and rains of Alberta. She said "you were not invited" and demanded I leave. I refused and said "I'm staying for another 30 minutes before I pack up and leave" She said "we know who you are and I'm going to inform security and police (EPS) that we expect you to leave soon." I continued displaying my art and distributing information leaflets for another hour and nothing happened. Later I informed two Edmonton Police officers how the City official had threatened me with police action if I didn’t leave from the City Hall grounds. They said I needed to send a complaint to the City of Edmonton. I responded with a picket protest called Art is Freedom - Picket against the City of Edmonton.

Sunday, November 6, 2016

November 1, 2016: Is the Beast still burning? Fort McMurray wildfire may smoulder through winter 'Once that snow starts to melt ... everything has an opportunity to heat up' The fire which devastated much of Fort McMurray in May may still be smouldering, deep underground. At its peak, the fire was moving 30 to 40 metres per minute, creating its own weather pattern of wind and lighting. It crowned high in the trees, raining down ash and cinders as it raced north, jumping the Athabasca River, and wrapping itself around the northern Alberta city like a noose. Even then, smouldering ash underground grew into powerful infernos, making the fire an unpredictable foe for firefighters. In the end the Beast covered 589,552 hectares and devoured 2,400 structures. Extinguished on the surface, the fire may continue burning undetected throughout the winter, feeding on peat and dead vegetation. CBC.ca

November 15, 2016: $5.3B to be spent rebuilding Fort McMurray, boosting GDP, Conference Board says: The Fort McMurray wildfire will shave about 0.1 per cent from Alberta's real GDP in 2016, but reconstruction efforts will reverse that trend over the next few years, according to a Conference Board of Canada report released Tuesday. The costliest natural disaster in Canadian history will result in $5.3-billion being injected into the province, with the bulk of those funds — approximately $3.6-billion — coming from insurance payouts. But the report warns that "the funds put toward replacing lost capital will leave the provincial and federal governments with more debt, and the insurance industry with the challenge of absorbing what has become the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history." CBC.ca

Sunday, October 2, 2016

During yesterday's 119th outdoor art show on the Alberta Legislature grounds I shot some video footage adding it later to bits and pieces of interviews I collected since May relating to reptiles being rescued from the Fort McMurray wildfires. Heart warming stories shared by Albertans about these beautiful creatures.

130th outdoor art show next to the Alberta Legislature

Meeting Oiler fans along 104th Street during my 134th outdoor art showing
of the Fire and Rain art project a block away from Rogers Place

Friday, September 30, 2016

On guard for thee
September 27, 2016 #21, Final painting my tribute painting to the Alberta Sheriffs

Sketch study of a lone sheriff (Keith) standing behind a pillar on guard.

My 2016 Fire and Rain art project helped

influence my 2017 Not a Bystander art project

5 AM in morning darkness preparing my canvas for a painting

September 21, 2016: 5 AM this morning I prepared a canvas using a projector and sketch study I drew last week during one of my outdoor art shows in front of the Alberta Legislature. Titled "On guard for thee." This painting became the new signature painting for my 2016 Fire and Rain art project after I had destroyed my original signature painting in a fit of anger, rage and frustration after being verbally banned on the Alberta Legislature grounds a 3rd time by an official with Alberta Legislature Visitors Services.

Original signature painting destroyed

Fire and Rain, Prospect Point

Losing my cool and destroying something I loved prompted me to look in the mirror and say to myself "I must try to never allow my emotions to get the better of me" The following year my next art project would focus my canvases on anger, violence and bullying and my own anger issues would become an integral part of my art project. The 2016 Fire and Rain art project.

January 2018. I salvaged the broken pieces from my destroyed painting and added them to another Fire and Rain painting titled "The Crumpling Umbrella" Crumpling Umbrella painting 2018

Contemplating over coffee how I'll paint my picture.
I paint outdoors all seasons and take on the challenges of weather.

The new signature painting added 'On Guard For Thee" best represents the spirit of ordinary Albertans as a whole coming together defending, protecting and providing for others during times of sorrow, tribulations and calamities such as the wildfires, storms and flooding from heavy rains we seen in Alberta this year. The spirit of Albertans during times of trouble became a beacon of light and hope for so many others in need. The Alberta Sheriffs became my own beacon of hope to complete this project on the Alberta Legislature grounds regardless the art critics.

September, 25: Accomplished Edmonton graphic artist Wei Yew encourages Alberta artists to pass on what they've learned over a lifetime to others. During the Provincial Police and Peace Officer Memorial Day Ceremony held across the street, I had lots of visitors stop by to watch me paint and hear the stories about the Fire and Rain project. Several families, MLA Dr. Bob Turner and the award winning graphic designer Wei Yew stopped by and shared stories about the Provincial Police & Peace Officer Memorial Monument that he designed in 2006. Wei Yew's Website

Throughout the year 2016 I felt alien and unwelcome to the Alberta Legislature grounds after I was verbally banned 3 times by Alberta Legislature officials who told me I could not paint or show my art on the grounds. I answered all 3 officials by picketing the Alberta Government a total of 6 days, 3 in February over one official's concerns of liability and safety, twice in June as my art was deemed inappropriate on the grounds by one unapologetic official and 2 more times in July when I was told I could not share leaflets about the fire and rain art project during art shows, accused of littering the grounds by that official. Today I won back my freedom to express art on the Legislature grounds, thanks in large part to the Alberta Legislature Sheriffs who serve and protect all Albertans.

July 29, 2018 current art project: The Status versus Motion art project began April, 2018 as an extension of Citizen Free News, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on the traditional lands of Treaty 6 territory. It's purpose is to improve the outreach and trustworthiness of citizen free news reporting on protests, rallies and vigils by Albertans relating to environmental, human rights and political issues and follows the business inside the Alberta Legislature and how the news media reports on it...
Citizen Free News Since 2007

Monday July 30, 2018. 'On guard for thee' from my 2016 Fire and Rain art project on Alberta wildfires and rains has been retired and has found a new home inside the Alberta Legislature in the office of the Superintendent of the Alberta Legislature Sheriffs.